Office furniture is oftentimes selected for a particular type of work and cannot be changed in the event it is desired to put it to a different use in another area of the office. For example, a desk selected as a receptionist desk may not be suitable for the needs of a bookkeeper. Absent interchangeability, however, a desk must be brought for a particular purpose and, accordingly, there are limitations on its use, not to mention its marketability in the event a turnover in furniture is required.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide furniture which can be structurally modified to suit a particular need and function. It is an objective of this invention to provide such furniture.
The invention includes a pair of free-standing, substantially L-shaped panels, each having a plurality of equispaced slots on its vertical side edges. Each of the horizontal edges of the L-shaped panels is also provided with slots which may be of a different size and spacing than that of the slots on the vertical side edges. Brackets are interlockingly received in the slots in the vertical side edges and are provided with horizontal flanges which support, for example, a rectangular desk top placed thereon.
The L-shaped panels are described and shown herein as being of substantially right-angular configuration; however, it is to be understood that for certain embodiments the overall concept of the invention can be practiced with panels of greater or lesser angles (i.e., 75.degree. or 120.degree.) without departing from the scope of the invention.
Further, the panels will normally be provided with a detachable base, the height of the base and panel, taken together, will be of approximately normal desk height. It is to be understood, however, that the panels may be employed without a base, and the panels can be constructed of any height necessary to suit the particular use to which the panel is put. Another advantage to having removable or detachable bases is that an office area can be laid out using the bases alone, which reduces the time and physical work needed compared to having to shift around the desk as a complete unit.
The modular furniture of this invention is primarily described in the context of a desk. It is to be understood, however, that other furniture constructions can be structured through the application of different combinations of the L-shaped panels and planar supporting surfaces. As shown in the drawings and as will be described later herein, this invention includes but is not limited to such other items of furniture as a mobile cart, shelving, chairs and sofas.
An important feature of this invention is that the L-shaped panels are identical and merely need be inverted to convert a "left-handed" panel into a "right-handed" panel and vice versa.
The use of component parts, including the L-shaped panels, permits furniture structures to be readily added to or otherwise modified. For example, a standard desk unit can be extended into an L-shaped unit by providing another L-shaped panel and an additional or extension desk top extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the primary desk top. Brackets are inserted into the openings in the side edges of one of the original L-shaped panels and an additional or third panel provides the necessary support for the extension desk top. The slots permit the attachment of many accessories, both functional and ornamental, as will be described in greater detail below.
It is a principal objective of this invention to provide furniture composed of component parts which can be assembled in a number of different configurations and, therefore, satisfy a variety of functions or needs.
It is a further objective of this invention to provide furniture composed of component parts, certain of which are identical, to enhance interchangeability. For example, as pointed out above, the identical L-shaped panels can be converted from a "left-hand" panel to a "right-hand" panel, and vice versa.
It is a further object of this invention to provide furniture which is aesthetically pleasing.
It is still another objective of this invention to provide furniture to which a number of accessories can be readily attached, a feature that is particularly useful with desks.
A further objective of this invention is to provide furniture which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.
It is still another objective of this invention to provide furniture which can be broken down into a number of component parts for ready shipment or storage.
These and other objectives of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings wherein: